Improvement in the preparation of artificial skins with natural hair



UNITED sw ms PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH RANI ALL TUSSAUD FRANCIS CUBTIUS TUSSAUD, OF 58 BAKER STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE PREPARATION OF ARTIFICIAL SKINS WITH NATURAL HAIR.

To all to whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, J osnrn RANDALL TUSSAUD and FRANCIS (JURriUs TUSSAUD, both of N o. 58 Baker street, Portman Square, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented improvements in obtaining the separation of hair or other covering from the skins of animals and in the application thereto of artificial skins, and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

Our improvements have reference to means by which the hair or other such covering to the skins of animals may be held in correct relative positions as on the natural skin while that skin is removed and until a substitute for such skin is applied to theroots of such hair or other covering to retain them in position; and our improvements have reference to means for acting first on the hair on the natural skin previous to the application of the temporary holding means, and also to the use of glue, size, or gelatine, applied in solution, so as to form, when cool, a body to hold the hair or other covering in position during the removal therefrom of the natural skin and the application to the roots thereof of a substitute for such skin.

In carrying out our improvements we operate upon the hair or other covering and natural skin previous to the application of such temporary holding means, for the purpose of loosening the one from the other, by subjecting them to soaking in lime water or other suitable means, as practised by tanners. If desired, the skins may then be washed in water to free them of the superabundant lime or other mixture of water in which the soaking has been effected, and then they may be hung foratime to drain off excess of moisture. The glue, size, or gelatine is then applied to the hair or other such covering by pouring it thereon in a fluid or semi-fluid condition and in sufficient quantity, or by immersion of the skin in a bath of such matter. WVhen a sufficient coating of the glue, size, or gelatine has been applied to the skin to hold the hair or other such covering thereof in correct relative position during the removal of the natural skin, such skin, with this temporary holding means applied is then laid so as to prevent the holding means from running off until it has become sufficiently cool or set to hold the hair or other such covering in position when the natural skin may be pulled from the roots of the hair or other such covering, leaving the hair or other such covering held by the glue, size, or gelatine em ployed as the temporary holding means, with the roots of hair or other such covering projecting therefrom. The matter or composition to form the artificial skin will then be applied in a liquid state to such roots of hair or other such covering while the hair or other such covering is being held by the glue, size, or gelatine.

The artificial skin may be formed of India rubber, gutta-percha, or compounds thereof, (vulcanized or prepared,) boiled or other oils capable of being rendered suitably drying, or other suitable adhesive matters, which may be strengthened, if desired, by woven fabrics.

When employing boiled linseed or other oils its adhesiveness may be increased by the combination therewith of a small quantity of litharge or other suitable drying or adhesive matter.

In order to render the caoutchouc and guttapercha more lasting and less affected by changes of temperature, we combine with them sulphur in any suitable manner capable of producing those results, preferring to apply to the artificial skins of caoutchouc or guttapercha a solution of chloride or hypochloride of sulphur in bisulphuret of carbon, (or other suitable solvent of caoutchouc or gutta-percha.) \Vhen using bisulphuret of carbon, we take forty parts thereof and add to it one part of chloride or hypochloride of sulphur 'prepared as neutral as possible, and We allow the solution to remain in contact-with the artificial skin of caoutchouc or gutta-percha a longer or 1 shorter time, according to the thickness or substance of the article; but we find that for general purposes a thin sheet is generally suffi ciently changed in less than a minute.

When the caoutchouc or compounds thereof used to form the artificial skin has become sufficiently set-to hold the hair or other such covering firmly by the roots thereof, and the process of vulcanization or preparing, as above referred to, has been efiected, then the artifi cial skin, with the hair or other such covering thereon, is well washed in hot water, by which the. glutinous or gelatinous matter which has been employed as the temporary holding medium may be readily removed.

In some cases we employ carbonate, sulphite, sulphate, phosphate, acetate, or hyposulphite of soda as a substitute for the animal glue or gelatine. In such case the salt is employed in a state of fusion, or as a saturated solution, such that when cool it will set to a suflicient degree of solidity to hold the hair or other covering in correct relative position.

Having thus described our invention and means which we adopt in carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that what we claim is- The acting first on the hair on the natural skin by soaking the same in lime-water or other suitable liquid such as practiced by tanners,

and the use of glue, size, gelatine, carbonate, sulphate, sulphite, phosphate, acetate, or hyposulphite of soda to hold the hair or other covering during the removal of the natural skin, and the application to the roots thereof of India rubber, gutta-percha, vulcanized or prepared, boiled or linseed-oils capable of being rendered suitably drying, or other suitable adhesive matters, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our. names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. R. TUSSAUD. I 0. TUSSAUD. Witnesses:

WILLIAMI BROOKES, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES,

Both of 62 Chancery Lane, London,

England. 

